


Death Is Only A Doorway

by bluebox_girl42



Series: Traveling With Time Lords [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebox_girl42/pseuds/bluebox_girl42
Summary: Okay folks who’s ready to find out what exactly happened on Alpha Prime?This is the sequel to Caught Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea and the prequel to Bad Dreams.Part of the Travelling with Time Lords series, which can be found here https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634077Expect angst, tears, original character death and absolutely no white knighting of the Master what so ever. Also i’m really sorry to 13, I love her and i’ve no idea why i keep making her the bad guy in all of this.When you secretly travel in time and space things can get messy, but when you secretly travel in time and space with two time lords things will become chaotic and that’s when disaster ensues. And just surviving events may no longer be enough for you.
Relationships: 13th Doctor x Reader, The Master (Dhawan)/Reader
Series: Traveling With Time Lords [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1634077
Comments: 7
Kudos: 79





	Death Is Only A Doorway

You had been travelling with the Master now for nearly a year and the Doctor for nearly two. Although you couldn't actually be sure. If you were honest it was getting harder and harder to keep track of time anymore. When you had first started travelling with the Doctor you had tried to keep hold of some semblance of a normal life. But the idea of travelling through space and time had seduced you, and now normal life had started to lose its grip on you. 

Travelling with two-time lords independently of each other meant your life had slowly become one never-ending blur of running from one Tardis to another. From the Doctor to the Master, from the Master to the Doctor. This was your life now and if you were honest you didn't miss your old life one bit. Earth seemed less of a home and more of a bus stop now or should that be Tardis stop. Where one-time lord would pick you up and the other would drop you off back in time for tea. 

You knew your lies and your extracurricular trips with the Master would catch up with you sooner or later and yet the Doctor and the fam seemed oblivious to your other life with the Master. Every excuse they believed as you delivered them with the utmost sincerity. Even Yaz, who you thought would have started to get a bit suspicious, after all, she was a copper and yet nothing. Part of you wondered if they just hadn't noticed because you weren't part of the fam. 

The Master grinned like a schoolboy as he rushed over to the console. “So easy. So so easy!”

As you slammed the Tardis door shut behind you, you heard the sound of gunfire. 

“Easy? You call that easy? We nearly got shot!” 

The Master gave you a look that said relax, I’ve got everything under control. You never understood how he could always be so cocky and arrogant as things went wrong around him. Maybe it’s a time lord thing. 

“But we didn't.” He held the diamond up in the air, examining it in one hand while piloting the Tardis with the other. Clearly, he was in one of his showing off moods…again. 

“This time. Some of us don’t regenerate remember!” 

He gave you one of those looks you could never quite decipher, was it anger or sadness. Then he broke out into a grin and tossed the diamond in your direction. “It’s a fake.”

“What?!” you almost yelled as you caught the diamond. 

“A clever fake, but a fake none the less.”

“You're telling me we went through all that for a fake diamond. Don’t tell me it’s a cubic zirconia.”

The Master smiled, “Oh no it’s a genuine diamond. It’s just not the Heart of Azia.” 

You leaned against the console and sighed. “All that for nothing.”

The Master leaned in towards you, his face centimetres from yours. “I wouldn't say it was for nothing.” His gaze was borderline hypnotic and you could feel yourself starting to blush. You swore he did this deliberately just to make you flustered. You were convinced messing with the human, was his favourite mantra.

Your mobile rang thankfully breaking the tension, it was the Doctor. 

“Hi, (Y/N) Where are you? It’s been 20 minutes now.”

“Hi, Doctor…20 minutes?” You asked confused. Cautiously you looked up at the Master who was doing his best I’m not listening in to your conversation but actually, I really am impression as he moved around the other side of the Tardis console pretending to twiddle with knobs and buttons. 

“I’m outside your flat, we’re supposed to be going to Alpha Prime remember, the best planet in the universe.”

“Alpha Prime?”

Your face fell as you suddenly realised you’d forgotten making the arrangements with her. Though in your defence half of the New Swiss military guard had been after you and the Master at the time. 

“Yeah...I’m on my way, I’m just…erm running a little late. You know how traffic can be.”

“In that case, I’ll come and pick you up. Save you the journey.”

“No.” The panic in your voice making your words louder than you meant. The Master raised an eyebrow as he continued to pretend not to listen.

“I mean I’m nearly there. It’s probably going to be much quicker for me to come to you. Besides knowing my luck we’d spend all afternoon missing each other.”

“Afternoon? It’s morning.”

“You know what I mean Doctor. I have to go now, almost there. Bye.”

You quickly hung up slightly flustered and rushed over to the Master. “I have to go.”

He pulled a lever, “Earth 2020, already on it.” His tone was almost one of boredom. “Or you could continue to help me find the Heart of Azia…” He bit his lip teasingly as he looked up at you. 

Not for the first time since you’d started this whole mess you found yourself conflicted. You wanted to stay and travel with him. But you remembered he wasn't the Doctor. How long before he got bored of you and abandoned you on some godforsaken rock somewhere…or worse. The Master was manipulative, selfish…and yet you still couldn't help the way you felt about him. As you stared at him, you remembered the man you had met in Australia. Was he still in there somewhere? Had he ever been in there? You blinked first and looked away. 

“As much as I’d love to I can’t, I made a promise.” You risked a glance at the Master as you spoke, “And I always keep my promises remember.” 

Now it was the Master’s turn to look away from you. He pulled another lever and the Tardis landed. “In that case there you are, home…and back to the Doctor.” His tone was a little too light but you didn't have the time or the emotional energy to deal with one of his tantrums. They had been increasing in frequency lately, every time he returned you to the doctor. 

“Thank you. I’ll be back in a few hours, maybe we could look for the diamond then.” You headed for the doors and to escape the tension that was now starting to build in the air, but the Master grabbed you by the arm. “Is that a promise?”

You looked at his face and a for a brief moment you could have sworn he actually looked dejected. You wanted to sweep him up in a hug, you wanted to tell him how you really felt, you wanted him. You felt your stomach drop, you wanted him. Not the Doctor, not the fam, just him and only him. You wanted to run away with him here and now and never return. To just disappear. A voice in your head told you no one would miss you, not really. 

This was wrong you told yourself. Travelling with the Master was only ever meant to be temporary. You only wanted to make the Doctor and the fam notice you. To care about you. To stop seeing you as a plaything. You couldn’t just throw the Doctor away like that and certainly not for him. The Doctor was a good person, so were Graham, Ryan and Yaz. You couldn't just leave them to wonder what had happened to you. And knowing the Doctor she would come looking for you…would’nt she. 

As you looked into his eyes a memory resurfaced…you and the Master in the Tardis after he had revealed his true identity to you all on the plane. Him standing over you like an apex predator observing it’s weak and injured prey. 

“You weren’t part of the plan,” he growled to himself. 

“Nothing in life ever is.” You said. 

You remembered the panic and the fear as he reacted to your words, his fingers wrapping around your throat, choking you. 

“Is that a promise?” The Master repeated his grip tightening on your arm slightly bringing you out of the memory. 

“Yes.” The word fell from your lips but you weren’t sure if you should mean it or not. Maybe you should take this opportunity to get out for good. To tell the Doctor everything and let her deal with him. 

The Master let go of your arm and slunk back towards the Tardis console. “One day you’ll have to choose you to know, me or her.” His words had an edge to them.

This wasn’t a game now, but then if you were honest it never had been. The Master was dangerous and you were in way over your head, you had been from the moment you’d willingly chosen to travel with him. The Master would either kill you or get you killed deliberatly. You had to walk away from him before that happened. Go back to the Doctor you told yourself, she’ll keep you safe. 

“I know, but not today Master.” You gave him a smile you didn't feel in your heart as you headed towards the doors, your heart and mind racing. As you started to walk through the doorway you hesitated and took one final look back towards the console. The Master had deliberately turned his back on you as he pretended to be doing something to the console. 

“You weren't part of the plan.” You sighed as you left the Tardis. 

The Master looked over his shoulder and watched as you walked out of the Tardis and back to the Doctor. He turned sharply back to the console and caught a glimpse of himself. For a moment he hesitated and then slammed down the lever causing the Tardis to fade away. 

You entered the Doctor’s Tardis to find all eyes suddenly upon you. 

“Now we know what you’ve been up to, don’t we Doc. Time travelling without us.” 

You froze at Graham’s words. “What?” 

Graham pointed at you, “The outfit.”

You looked down at yourself and realised you were still dressed in Victorian garb. You had left your normal clothes in the Master’s Tardis. 

“No…it was a…a fancy dress party.”

Yaz playfully tapped Graham on the arm, “Stop teasing (Y/N)

“With the new boyfriend.” He smiled. 

“What.” You felt your face suddenly go flush. 

“It’s okay you don’t need to be embarrassed,” Ryan added. “We figured it out. Why you’ve been appearing and disappearing all the time. Why you don’t always answer your phone when we call.”

“Why you keep us waiting around.” The Doctor added from behind the console. 

“You could have just told us, honest,” Yaz added. “You didn't need to be all secretive. We’d have understood. It’s hard trying to hold down a normal life and travelling with the Doctor, we get it.”

“When do we get to meet him?” The Doctor grinned. 

“Erm…” You swore all your travels with the Master were now starting to flash before your eyes.

The Doctor looked at Graham, her smile faltering slightly, “That is what people do isn’t it. Introducing the new fella to the fam.”

Graham laughed and nodded, “Yeah it is Doc, but (Y/N) probably isn’t quite ready for that. I mean it’s a lot to get your head around. Hi sweetheart meet my friends, one of them is an alien and we go travelling through time and space.” 

“Ah, good point Graham. Rory never took it well.” 

Graham looked at Ryan and mouthed who’s Rory? To which Ryan raised his shoulders and shrugged.

“We can meet him when you're good and ready for us too.” Yaz smiled reassuringly and you found yourself wanting the ground to swallow you whole. You were lying to them and here they were being really supportive of you and your none existent boyfriend. 

“Just tell us he’s not an MI6 agent or a nutty time lord…no offence Doc.”

“None taken Graham.” 

“Are we still going to Alpha Prime or what?” You tried to change the conversation. 

“Oh yes, I almost forgot!” The Doctor started to pull levers on the console. “One of the most advanced civilisations in the universe. They’ve managed to achieve the perfect harmony between science and art. Both feeding and inspiring each other. It’s beautiful. Also really great cheese.” 

“I’ll get the crackers then,” Graham said. 

“I’d better go change.” With that, you rushed towards the Tardis wardrobe.

As you started pulling items off the rails you saw the Master’s blue shirt, the one he’d worn in the Outback. You’d forgotten that he’d left it behind, one of the last remnants of O. You lifted it towards you, as you did so it felt like someone had punched you in the heart. What were you doing? you chastised yourself and put it back. You stared at it like it was a poisonous snake and you found yourself trying not to cry. This was getting too much, something had to give sooner or later. But which time lord would be the one to break you first, the Master or the Doctor? 

The landing had been rough, rougher than usual. So when you followed the fam out of the Tardis you were glad to be on solid ground again. But if you were honest the sight of ruins and dust was not what you had in mind when the Doctor described the place. The surface of the planet had been destroyed by something or someone. 

“I thought you said this was one of the most advanced civilisations in the universe,” Yaz said confused. “Where is everyone?” 

“It is…or at least it was.” The Doctor started waving her sonic screwdriver in the air as she scanned their surroundings. “What happened here?” 

* * *

The Master scanned the maps on the Tardis display but two words kept echoing in his mind distracting him, Alpha Prime. The name rang a bell in the back of his mind somewhere, but he couldn’t place it. Why couldn’t he place it? This was why he didn’t travel with humans they were annoying and distracting. He was supposed to be finding the diamond and the damm source code. He swiped the screen and instead began searching the Tardis memory banks for any reference to the planet. 

“Why do I even care?” he muttered out loud. 

The Tardis’s lighting started to change. “If I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it.” he chastised the ship. 

* * *

You walked over to a nearby ruin it looked a bit like a medieval church tower, covered in the most elegant and beautiful etchings you had ever seen. As you got closer you could have sworn you could hear screaming. 

“Doctor, can you hear that?” 

The Doctor didn't reply, too busy staring at her sonic, “Hear what?” asked Ryan. 

“The screaming.” 

Ryan shook his head, “No. Can’t hear anything.” 

Suddenly there was a flash of light and there in front of the Doctor was what looked someone had ripped a tear in the air. As you looked through you could see the planet but it was being destroyed right before your eyes by some kind of energy blasts but you couldn't see what was causing it. 

“Oh no, no, no.” The Doctor started to mutter to her self. She started to point the sonic at the tear but nothing was happening. 

That was when you heard them, the metallic voices all shouting the same thing…”Exterminate!” 

“Come on, come on, come on,” The Doctor’s voice took on a panic edge. You looked over at Yaz, Ryan and Graham who had all frozen. 

Then the tear sealed up and the trio relaxed slightly. 

“What was that?” you asked. 

“Daleks,” Graham said. “Imagine the Nazi’s but crossed with pepper pots. Very angry, very short pepper pots.” 

“We have to get out of here now!” The Doctor half yelled. 

“What’s going on?” you asked. 

“The planet, it’s shifting between two time zones. That’s why I had issues landing the Tardis. She didn't want to come here. She was trying to warn me! Oh, I’m so stupid!” The Doctor half rambled and half yelled. 

“Why is it shifting though?” You asked. 

“No time, back to the Tardis now!!!” The Doctor started running hoping you’d all follow suit. 

Yaz and Ryan followed her in, then Graham who stopped at the doorway for you. You were almost at the Tardis when suddenly another tear opened. You tried to stop but it was too late and you ran straight through it. The last thing you heard was Graham yelling your name. 

“Doc (Y/N) has disappeared.” Graham ran over to the console. 

Yaz and Ryan looked at each other in shock. The Doctor looked pained for a moment, then she pressed a button and the Tardis door slammed shut. She then put the ship into motion. 

“Wait you can’t just leave! What about (Y/N)?” Yaz shouted. 

The Doctor turned her back on the fam. “Doctor, Yaz is right.” Ryan chimed in. 

“Don’t you think I know that.”

“Doc what’s going on?” Graham asked trying not to sound worried. 

“The planet it’s locked in a phasing orbit. It’s shifting between two time zones, thus allowing the past to bleed into the future. That’s where (Y/N) is right now, trapped in the past. I should have remembered. I shouldn't have taken you guys there.” 

“But we can save (Y/N), right?” 

“There was a war.” The Doctor shook her head. ”The Daleks were in danger of overrunning this part of the galaxy so the Time Lords did the only thing they could. They let Alpha Prime fall and placed it into a time lock. Trapping the Daleks in that time zone for eternity. But something’s happened and the lock is failing and now the past is bleeding into the present.”

“What about the people of Alpha Prime?” Ryan asked. 

“They died.” The Doctor said not meeting their gaze. “The Time Lords saw them as collateral damage.”

“Wait you're not saying (Y/N) is collateral damage too are you?” Graham was horrified. 

“If I go back, into that timeline to rescue (Y/N), then I become part of it. And I run the risk of the Daleks escaping and reigniting the time war all over again. Thousands, millions could die if one Dalek gets loose. You all know that.” 

“So you're just saying (Y/N) should just be left behind?” 

“No. No, I’m not.” The Doctor sighed. “Whatever I do someone loses. Be that (Y/N), the citizens of Alpha Prime or the universe. Whatever I do will be the wrong call. There’s no right choice here.” She failed to hide the pain in her voice. 

“So what do we do?” asked Yaz. 

“I don’t know.” The Doctor replied sadly. “The only thing I do know is that I need time to come up with a plan.”

* * *

You called the Doctor’s number as you had nearly every day now for a month straight. And as always it went straight to her voicemail. You hung up in frustration as you tried not to cry. You wouldn't cry and you certainly wouldn't lose hope, not now. She would come and she would rescue you and your new friends from this living hell. You just had to hold on. 

“(Y/N)” called Vivara. 

You turned to see the look on the young woman's face and instantly you knew it was bad news. 

“The Daleks, they’ve breached the walls.”

“How long till they're in the compound?” 

“Approximately 10 minutes.” 

“That’s not enough time to evacuate.”

“Even if there were, there's nowhere left to run any more,” Vivara said desperately. ”Any word from your friend…the Doctor?”

You shook your head and tried not to scream in anger and frustration. 

“What do we do now?” Vivara said. 

“It’s going to be okay, she’ll come for us. She’ll save you.” You replied trying to keep the fear out of your voice. You looked around and saw an alcove, partly hidden by debris it was a dumb idea but it was the best you had. 

“Vivara get in there and no matter what happens don’t come out okay.” She nodded. You tried to cover her with the debris as best you could. 

“When this is all over (Y/N) can we visit your homeworld.” She asked. 

“When this is all over we can go where ever you want to.” You tried not to let your fear show through your fake smile. “I’ll be back in a minute I promise and I’ll bring the Doctor with me.”

Vivara nodded again and you called the Doctor’s number again as you walked out of the room and down the corridor in what you hoped was out of earshot. 

“Doctor where the hell are you, we’re about to be slaughtered down here! We need you, I need you!!! We’re…Vivara and I...we’re about to die and I really don’t want to die. Not here, not like this. Please, Doctor…save us.”

You ended the call and closed your eyes hoping against hope that you’d hear the familiar wheezing and grinding of the Tardis engines. But nothing. Instead, you heard the explosion and the screams growing louder, the Daleks were already inside. 10 minutes had either been woefully short of the mark or the Dalek’s had changed their tactics. You ended the call and ran back to Vivara but as you reached the doorway you saw her gunned down by a silver Dalek. They had discovered her hiding place.

You hated yourself as you turned and ran but there was nothing you could do for her now. Just like every other citizen you had been treating since your arrival. Patch them up, send them back into battle, rinse and repeat until nothing but their corpses were returned. Previously when the fear and adrenaline flooded your body it had been fun, it was like a drug habit you couldn't quite kick. Adrenaline junkies had their skydiving and off-piste skiing, you had travelling with the Doctor. But not any more, now it was purely a survival instinct and you were running on fumes. 

You tried not to dwell on the fact you had lied to the girl and now you had gotten her killed. For a month you had told her tales of the Tardis and the Doctor and how they would all be saved. How the brave and wonderful Doctor would stop the Daleks and save the world. You found the anger gave you just a bit more fuel as you ran. You found the mainframe computer access port and started scanning the screen, the Daleks had overridden the whole place. Nowhere was safe from the angry, demented little pepper pots. Your blood ran cold as you realised there were Daleks heading your way from three directions cutting you off. This was it, your last stand. In a few minutes, they would be upon you and you would be dead. You looked at your phone and dialled one final time, but this time you didn't call the Doctor. 

The Master pulled his mobile out of his pocket. He was somewhat confused as to who could be calling him till he saw your name. 

“Miss me already love.” The Master grinned as he lounged over the console. 

“Just listen!... Please, Master.” Your voice started to break, which caused him to stand up straight.

“I just wanted to let you know that no matter what happens to me, I don’t regret my time with you. Not a single second. And you were right I should have stayed with you, I should have helped you find the Heart of Azia.” 

The Master felt his hearts begin to race, this was a goodbye call. Why were you calling to say goodbye to him? The Tardis screen started to flash to signal it had finished searching the databases, the Master’s eyes went wide at what he read. The memories of the time war started to come back to him, how he had watched with disgust as the time lords had let the planet burn and acted like they had done something good and noble. All those innocent people slaughtered because of Rassilion’s arrogance and yet they had the nerve to call him the monster. 

“Promise me, when you find it, you’ll think of me.” That was when he heard it, the Dalek in the background screaming exterminate with as much hatred and venom as it could. 

Without thinking he started pulling levers and pushing buttons on the console. 

“Hold on.” He yelled. 

“It’s too late, they’ve found me.” 

“I have a time machine, it’s never too late.”

“Master I know this is my last chance to say it, but I…” There was the sound of a Dalek firing and the line went dead. The Master turned around as he pulled the lever on the console. “Come on, just this once give me a miracle.”

The Dalek came face to face with you and your phone fell from your hand, it hit the floor hard and bounced. The Dalek readied itself to open fire. You closed your eyes and waited for the blast and darkness to engulf you forever. As you did so you swore you heard the sound of a Tardis. 

“Too late Doctor.” You thought bitterly as you remembered Vivara. 

The Master held his breath as you started to materialise in the console room. “I am just that good,” he said triumphantly as he ran over to you. Your phone landed on the Tardis room floor and shattered. But you didn't open your eyes, you were still waiting to die to end up like the girl you had betrayed. The Master was shocked as he took a good look at you. Your hair was dishevelled and your clothes bloodied, dirtied and torn. 

“(Y/N)”. He said trying not to sound worried. 

Startled you opened your eyes and found yourself looking at the Master. You looked around and realised you were in his Tardis. 

“It’s okay your safe now. No need to thank me for rescuing you.” 

The Master’s face fell when you didn't react to his grandstanding. Suddenly the sound of Daleks’ screaming about the Doctor and a Tardis being detected filled the console room and the Master realised from your expression that you were genuinely terrified. He ran back to the console and put the Tardis back into the time vortex. You tried to move but your legs failed you and you found yourself struggling to remain upright. The Master ran over to you, grabbing you just in time before you hit the ground. When he saw the look in your eyes he felt overcome with anger towards the Doctor. 

“Why didn't she come?” You asked. “Why didn't she save them? Why didn't she save Vivara? Why didn't she save me?!” Your voice was getting louder. 

“All those people, they were screaming for help. Why didn't she come? That’s what she does, she saves people. She gives them hope. Why didn't she give them hope? I begged her! I pleaded with her!?” The Master didn't respond. 

“Where is she!!!” you screamed and the Master realised he was watching your faith in the Doctor die right in front of him. Part of him should have been pleased, he should have been revelling in it after all this was what he had wanted. Yet watching you right now was breaking his hearts. He knew that feeling all too well and it killed him.

“I told Vivara she would come. You saved me, so why didn't she!!!” 

The Master pulled you into a hug as you started sobbing. The tears you had held on to for so long now finally falling. 

A few hours later and you had finally calmed down and cleaned up. But you wouldn't say anything more about your time on the planet or who Vivara was. The Master hated that vacant look you now had in your eyes as you leaned against the console your arms wrapped around yourself as if trying to block out a chill. He noticed, but didn't comment on how you had changed from bright colours to all black. 

He handed you back your now repaired phone. “Here you can call the Doctor, let her know you're okay.”

“No.” There was a coldness in your voice he wasn't used to. “Maybe it’s best if she thinks I’m dead for awhile. Besides, you've got a diamond to find and I always keep my promises remember.” Your voice sounded hollow as spoke. 

The Master raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Instead, he started to plot a course for the 44th century and the last recorded sighting of the diamond. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the Master looking at you but you didn’t react to him. You kept your eyes focused on the screen in front of you as you tried to block out the horrors you had been subjected to for the last month. In between the screams of the people of Alpha Prime and the Daleks, the Master’s last words to you that day echoed in your mind. 

“One day you’ll have to choose you to know, me or her.” 

“I already have.” you whispered as you turned to look at the Master, “And God help her.”


End file.
